Hong Kong Customs arrested three men at an airport hotel on Wednesday after seizing about 109,600 illicit cigarettes worth about HK$500,000, with a duty value of about HK$360,000, authorities said.
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Customs officers patrolling the area spotted three men loading multiple large suitcases onto a light goods vehicle at a hotel drop-off point near the airport. Officers opened the luggage and found about 109,000 suspected illicit cigarettes in eight suitcases. An additional 600 cigarettes were later found in paper bags and reusable bags inside the vehicle, which were confirmed to belong to the driver.
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Two of the arrested men, aged 36 and 37, are Chinese nationals who arrived in Hong Kong on a flight from Japan and were responsible for smuggling the cigarettes into Hong Kong, according to Senior Investigation Officer (Telephone Order Task Unit) Ng Kuok Weng. The third man, a 39-year-old local driver, claimed he had taken the job through a messaging app to transport luggage from the airport to the urban area.
All three were arrested. Customs has also impounded the light goods vehicle for further investigation. The investigation is ongoing and more arrests are possible.
